Strong El Niño could bring heavy rain and flooding to Central Asia
A developing El Niño in the Pacific could become one of the strongest on record, leading to heavier rainfall and a greater risk of severe fl...
Kazakhstan is preparing to raise oil exports through the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline to 1.7 million tonnes next year, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported on Thursday, citing Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov.
According to the minister, Kazakhstan shipped 1.4 million tonnes through the BTC pipeline in 2024, and around 800,000 tonnes were already delivered in the first half of 2025. He noted that ongoing efforts are focused on increasing export volumes further.
The expansion plans were reportedly discussed during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s recent visit to Türkiye, where regional energy cooperation was a key agenda item.
The BTC pipeline, operated by BP, is a vital corridor for Caspian oil exports, linking Azerbaijan’s Sangachal terminal near Baku with the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in Türkiye. It plays a strategic role in bypassing Russian territory and offering alternative routes to global markets.
According to BP Azerbaijan, more than 3.5 billion barrels of crude have been exported through the BTC pipeline since it began operations in 2006.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
The 81st UN General Assembly has wrapped up its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings.
World leaders return to the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday for the fourth day of the high-level General Debate, with speeches and diplomatic meetings continuing throughout the day.
A developing El Niño in the Pacific could become one of the strongest on record, leading to heavier rainfall and a greater risk of severe flooding in parts of Central Asia, while also worsening extreme weather in other parts of the world.
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. They discussed progress towards peace and the development of economic and transport links between the two countries.
Fourteen Kazakh military personnel died after being swept out to sea during a naval training exercise in the western Mangistau region, authorities said on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mounted a forceful defence of Israel's actions in the region at the United Nations on Thursday, seeking to counter growing international isolation ahead of elections he could lose, as dozens of delegates streamed out.
Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated again, with Pakistani security sources saying its troops thwarted an attempted Afghan Taliban attack in the Gulistan sector of Balochistan on Thursday, along Pakistan’s western border with Afghanistan, killing several Taliban fighters.
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